CHAPTER 5

10PM, 8 hours after the beginning of the exam.

Back in the forest…

The exploding tags that had been attached to the kunai Kenpachi had thrown detonated, sending multiple concussive waves hurtling through the water.

If we can just take this stronger one out, acquiring their scroll will become much easier... Kenpachi thought.

He looked over at Kira, who was performing another set of hand seals.

"Suiton-Suikodan no Jutsu" Water element-Water Shark Splurge

A mass of water separated itself from the main flow, forming a giant serpent-looking form. It charged itself towards the muscle-bound man, breaking down trees in its path as though they were twigs.

Kroan pushed through the tides of water slowly. He grabbed a tree for support, but it was ripped from the ground by the currents. Kroan picked it up and hurled it at Kira.

Kira was still manipulating his Jutsu, and was unable to dodge as the tree flew closer and closer. Suddenly Kenpachi appeared above him, kicking down at the tree and forcing it into the torrent of water, sending it back at Kroan. Rukia appeared next to Kira.

"We're taking too long, and we are attracting too much attention. Even if we win here, chances are that we will be attacked by nins that were following us after the battle. We have to disengage, regroup, and make a new plan."

Kira sighed, and reluctantly dispersed his jutsu. The flow of water slowed to a trickle, and the torrent fell down to about knee-height. Rukia quickly recast her Hidden Mist Jutsu, leaving the Grass-nins to wander blind in the haze. The three Mist-nins hastily jumped away and quickly headed towards the central tower.

They were making good time when suddenly a red-haired Genin appeared out of nowhere and kicked Kira clean in the stomach. Kira fell halfway to the ground before Kenpachi caught him, only to land right in front of another Genin, this one pointing a Katana straight at his face. A third Genin appeared in the tree above speaking to Rukia, who appeared to be halfway through a complicated set of Hand Seals.

"Halt. We don't want any trouble, despite what my teammates have done."

He threw an Earth scroll on the ground in front of them.

"Take that and go to the tower as quickly as possible. I don't like fighting Mist-nins, and my team is in the middle of..." He glanced around for an appropriate word. "Removing inferior candidates."

Kira snarled and picked up the scroll.

"We don't need this! We'll take you all on!"

There was a muted whisper, and Kira suddenly noticed the blade of a Katana underneath his chin.

"I suggest you take Ichimaru's offer. If you don't, I will be forced to kill you."

The man standing in the tree made a shooing motion towards the swordsman.

"Don't be so hasty, Byakuya. We need someone to stay alive and report on the kindness of grass-nins." He said, with an odd smile on his face.

Kira nodded hesitantly, taking the scroll and leaping through the trees into the direction of the tower. Kenpachi followed him, and Rukia appeared beside him almost instantaneously.

Renji turned to Ichimaru.

'Why'd you do that? We'll have to face them later on now!"

Ichimaru turned, a sadistic smile on his face.

"I know. It's more fun to save the stronger ones until the end..."

………………………………..

The Mist-nins arrived at the base of the tower long after the sun had set. They quickly ran round the entire circumference of the tower, looking for an entrance.

"Doesn't look like there's a way in..." Kira muttered, being careful to keep his voice down.

"It must be Genjutsu..." Rukia replied. "Probably something that requires belief that there really is an entrance for the entrance to show..."

As she said that, a door materialized in front of the team. They quickly entered, and after reading the inscriptions on the wall, opened their scrolls. A Jounin wearing bandage wraps covering his mouth and bearing a large sword suddenly appeared before them.

"Tsavong-sensei!" Kenpachi said in surprise.

"Eh...you guys finished pretty quickly for your first time through...how'd you get your other scroll?"

Kira glared at the wall for a moment, then turned to face his team's instructor.

"A team of Grass-nins gave us one. They seemed to enjoy attacking people in the forest..."

"Ah, that must be Mayuri's team. Well, come along. I need to get you guys registered and set you up for the third exam..."

They walked up several sets of stairs before arriving at the top of the tower, where the 5th Hokage was eating with a Sand and Leaf team. Tsavong turned to a secretary sitting at the Hokage's desk.

"Team 3 of the Mist has finished the second exam."

The Fifth had invited the two teams that had already passed to dine with her at the top of the tower. She sat at the head of the table, with Gaara's team on one side and Genma's on the other.

They had been introduced to each other by name, but neither team knew anything more about each other. There looked nothing suspicious about Haru (apart from his shocking blue spiky hair) or Soni, but all three of the genin were scared by the look in Shadow's eyes.

Genma could see at a glance that Gaara and this boy shared a strong bond. The look in Shadow's eyes was similar to the one that he had seen in Gaara's all those years when he had proctored the fight between Gaara and Uchiha Sasuke.

Ralfe, who sat opposite Shadow, caught his eye. That look from Shadow's lifeless red eyes, which shone out in violent contrast to his black hair, sent a shiver down his spine. He was more terrified by that look than by anything else he had before. 'We could be in a lot of trouble if we end up fighting this guy,' he thought.

Suddenly a group of shinobi walked through the door with their sensei.

One of the genin had blue-grey, spiky hair and penetrating grey eyes. He wore a long-sleeved shirt and black trousers.

The genin next to him wore a grey skullcap bearing his village's emblem, denoting that they were Mist nins. A few wisps of white hair showed from underneath the skullcap. The sleeves of his dark blue shirt were long and stretched right down past the tips of his fingers.

The only girl in the team had shoulder-length black hair and mystical red eyes with swirls of white in them. She wore a grey-blue poncho with a long-sleeved black shirt showing underneath.

'Congratulations,' Tsunade said standing up. 'There must be a lot of talented young shinobi taking the exam for three teams to pass on the first day. I think this may be a new record. Grab a chair and sit down to eat with us.'